Pantie construction



M. C. FRIDOLPH PANTIE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1944.

M. c. FRIDOLPH PANTIE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 28, 1938 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Reiasuecl Dec. 26, 1944 Maude'C. Fridolph, New York, N. Y.

Original No. 2,205,745, dated June 25, 1940, Serial No. 192,925, February 28, 1938.

Renewed November 20, 1939. Application for reissue December 15, 1941, Serial No. 423,085

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of garments adapted to encircle the torso including the hips and upper portion of the thigh and extending upwardly to at least the region of the waist. Garments of this sort are generally known in the trade as step-in girdles or corselettes and the same construction may be utilized in swim trunks and other abbreviated garments. In some forms the garment may be provided with an upper portion adapted to cover the bust.

Garments of this nature are to be distinguished from corsets which are generally open at the bottom and not provided with separate leg openings. Further-more, corsets are generally reinforced to a very material extent and restrain the body whereas an object of the present garment is to give absolute freedom without restraint and at the same time suitably mold the figure; The garments also are to be distinguished from trunks such as are shown in Patent No. 2,012,879 or Patent No. 1,929,363, in that trunks of the character shown in these patents are not provided with separate legs or portions adapted to lay fiat against the inner opposing surfaces of the legs. In the very brief trunks of the type shown in the prior patents mentioned there is a tendency for the edge of the material passing through the crotch to chafe the inner opposing surfaces of the legs whereas such chafing is completely obviated by the construction of this invention. Furthermore, prior garments are not satisfactory in that they ride up in the back and over the buttocks, this resulting in material discomfort and further crotch cutting. Attempts have been made to obviate this by the use of resiliently stretchable materials, whereas the present invention prevents crotch cutting without the necessity of employing resiliently stretchable materials.

Generally stated, the present invention relates to a form of construction whereby a single continuous strip of material extends through the crotch and preferably over the abdomen in front and partly up the back of the wearer. This continuous strip is of variable width and when used in combination with the side portions of the garment, such side portions cooperate with the continuous longitudinal strip in such manner as to positively and effectively cause said crotch portion to be pulled downwardly away: from the crotch, thereby preventing the crotch portion ofthe garmentfrom actually pressing against, chafing and cutting into the crotch of the wearer. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to

disclose a form of construction adapted for use in garments encircling the torso of the wearer whereby the elements of the garment cooperate to suitably mold the figure without chafing, cutting, or other discomfort.

Another object of the invention is to disclose I and provide a garment construction embodying a substantially continuous crotch member extending upwardly over the abdomen and through the crotch to the back of the wearer, said continuous member cooperating with horizontally yieldingly stretchable side portions to cause said continuous crotch member to be pulled downwardly away from the crotch of the wearer, when in use.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a construction for a bodygarment whereby the garment is prevented from crawling or shifting while on'the body.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction for a body garment whereby the rear ,of the garment is anchored beneath the bulge of the buttocks without unduly constricting the legs of the wearer.

These and other objects, uses, advantages and adaptations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. For purposes of explanation, reference will be had to the appended drawings illustrating forms of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig; 1 is a three-quarter front view of one form of pantie constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a three-quarter rear view of the garment.

1 Figs. 3, 4 and 5 diagrammatically and approximately show the general contour of elements in extended form; from which the garment may 'be constructed. I I

Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates the approximate translation of forces which takes place when the garment is on the body of the 'wearer.

In the illustrative form of garment shown in the drawings the garment extends from a waist bers S and 1. The members 4 and may be connected along a side seam, indicated at 8. The members 4 to 1 may be made of any desired fabric or material and need not be resiliently stretchable although the so-called lastex" thread fabrics can be used if desired. It a resilientl stretchable fabric is employed. then, it.

should be stretcliable in a-horizontal. direction. It is to be understood, however, that material stretchable in both directions may be used, and.

in the subsequent description stretchable materials will be referred to. The particularcom.

struction of this invention, however, permits the.

production of an effective garment without the necessity of employing theimnreexpenshze-andz Knit; goods. can. be used to advantage, particularly i! the gar heavier stretchable materials:

ment is designed for use as a sun suit, swim-suit; or the like.

In addition, the garment includes a continuous member I0. member may. extend fromthe region of the-Y waist downwardl'y'over theabdomenand preIerably= then pass between I the legs-of the wearer, the? rearward extension of" said member extending-upwardly atthe backof the wearer. Such rearward extension may: extend upwardly at the back of the wearer for but a short distanceor it' may, ifidesired; extend' upa wardly at the back ot the wearer to theregion-of; thewaist. Asshown.- in the: drawings, suchreanward extension extends upwardly at thebackonly a part- 0! the distance to the-waist. The.

desired absence-ofchaflngin-the-crotch could beobtained eventhoughthe member l0 did not extend all the way through the crotch. It is suflioient if the'member Ill extends: through zone A hereinai'terreferred to. In the: preferred form, however, themember HI does pass be tween the legs and partthe back: 01' the wearer.

The material trom which member |-0 is= made is preferably stretchable longitudinallyof said member Ill; i. e., ina-verticaldirection over the abdomen and in a substantially horizontal direction throughthecrotch; The important factor is that the member- W is not stretchablein a transverse-direction. Themember I0 is preferably; but not necessarily, stretchable longitudinally. It can not, however; bestretched-transversely. The member Ill' is preferably or varying width along its length. It isessential, however, that-"this=member=- Ht be relatively wide at a zone-traversing theupper part: or the pubic region and above a horizontal plane passing through the crotch. Such-relatively wide zone is indicated in Fig. 1 at A. From this zone down wardly the member should become narrower so that that portion--of' "themember-- lllwhich extends through the crotch: is only sufll'cient to comfortably cover the crotch and bridge the tion indicated at l l and then extends to its rear terminal l2 along the lines l4. The rear terminal l2 preferably terminates at about the base of the spine and below a plane passing through the hip and does not extend upwardly to the waist. The front side member 4 is indicateddn Fig. 4.. and it is. to... be. noted, that this sid'e..member, tie-provided. with a lower" edge 2 adapted to'form the lower edge of the leg openings. Such lower edge 2 is materially longer than the upper edge I adapted to form the waist margin. The lower edge 2 is a part of an inwardly directed. extension l5 which is relatively narrow and'which is a continuation of the front centeredge-lfi which is adapted to be attached to the edge H ofithe-,member Ill. The edge I6 is provided with anuindentation adapted to accommodate the zone of increased width A existing in the; member Ill. The extension 15 is adapted to cover the inner surface of the leg of the wearer and the edge portion "'1' isxtorbewattached portions .of: the garment from. crawling" upwardly over thesbuttocks; crawling; tendency is very-1objectionableand, tends to take. place-wheneven'the'wearerrof' a: garment is engaged-inisports.

or: as. a. result ofrepeated; changes; in;- posture; In. accordance with my inventiom. the. lower" edges I8: of the rearportion 6-. of thevgarment gathered as by-means-ofi thedarts 22,233 24 and; the 11km thereby assuringzsufiicient fullness imthe; region of t'he buttock anctcuppingmhe-rear portion; 6- around the butt-och. causing; the loweredge l8:tothereby; retain its proper: position distance betweenthe opposing inner-surfaces of v the legssthroughthe crotch. The rearward' extension 01" themember ltl'may' be provid'ed =witl'i another enlargement adapted to be positioned above the level of: the: crotch-a or-it' may-gradually narrow in-width towardsdts-rear terminal;

By referring tol ig's. 3, 4 and5; the elements embodying oneform of thisinvention ma -be understood; Asshown inFig. 3, the continuous member Ill may beof substantially=- uniform or gradually increasing width from. its upperr end- (ordinaiilypassing through on terminating in the region of the waist) to a maximum width at the zone- A:- hereinai'ter referred t0: Thereaiterthe member [-0 narrowssinto thecrotchipor beneath the buttock withoutdiscomfort:v andwithout: permitting largemusclesaofthe-buttocks to; siip: down I from" beneath; such" edge ,1 I 8-,

When theEgarment-is onzthe-body the side-portions; 4 and: 5*. exert apull in: the generalzdirectioni of the:1arrows.iB=x-and- C. The strip member ID; is' inelastic in; a: horizontal: direction andthe widest; portion: of; zone- A. is fixed: in location by: the: tension: applielzlby; the side. portions. Movementzof: the. garment".duringchange of posture of; the. wearer oce-urs-about-a. line through thezwidest portion-o1 zoneA rather thaniabout the. crotch; 'Iiheleg encircling portions of' the garment assist in preventing cuttinggofathe crotch by;- applying; downward, components of force on the: strip; Ill. Theshifting, binding or: cutting of? the? garmentuinto the crotch of, the; wearer. is thus: prevented; and the resulting; downward components of iorce take. the general direction of; the. arrows; D *and.E-.

What: 'I- claim is;

1.. In a garment, the combinationwor side panels and a; front: ortion, said front: portion. having: diverginglw directed edges: extending; up.- wardly f-romrthe crotchtoa-pair of points; adapt? ed; [701 be located. when on, the; wearer: adjacent outer? sides of, the upper pubic :resiom theeedges or. said portion aboveysaidr pair-ct. points: being at aoutexausleatdthe; edges extending; from the crotch to said points, said side panels being attached to said edges, said front portion between said points being substantially inelastic in a horizontal direction and said side panels applying a horizontal tension to said front portion at said points whereby a horizontal line through said points operates as the fulcrum about which movement of the garment occurs during body movement by the wearer and leg encircling portions connected to and extending downwardly from said side panels and below the crotch to apply a downward force on said front portion adjacent the crotch, said downward force applied by the encircling leg portions cooperating with the horizontal force applied by the side panels at said fulcrum points to prevent upward movement and cutting of the garment into the crotch of the wearer.

2, In a garment, the combination of side panels and a front portion, said side panels being resilient in a horizontal direction, said front portion extending through the crotch and having divergingl directed edges extending upwardly from the crotch to a pair of points adapted to 'be located when on the wearer adjacent opposite outer sides of the upper pubic region and inwardly directed edges above said points, said side panels being attached to said edges, said front portion between said points being substantially inelastic in a horizontal direction, said resilient side panels applying a horizontal tension to said front portion at said points whereby said points operate as fulcrum points, and leg encircling portions attached to said side panels and extending beneath said crotch whereby said leg encircling portions exert a downward force on said front portion from said fulcrum points to said crotch, said downward force exerted by the leg portions cooperating with the fulcrum points created by the horizontal tension applied to the front portion by the side panels whereby that portion of the strip extending downwardly from the fulcrum points to the crotch is prevented from-cutting upward into the crotch of the wearer.

3. In a garment, the combination of a strip unit and a body member shaped to encircle the body throughout an area at least as long as the buttocks, the lower rear portion of said body member being preformed to follow the contour of the lower portion of the buttocks of the wearer to prevent said garment from crawling up over the buttocks, said strip unit being substantially inelastic in a horizontal direction, said strip differing in width and extending downwardly over the abdomen and rearwardly toward the crotch, said strip being attached throughout its length at its side edges to said body member and provided with upwardly and divergingly directed edges between the crotch portion and that portion traversing the abdomen and with the opposite edges adjacent the lower abdominal portion extending at angles to said divergingly directed edges, said body portion having separate leg encircling portions for exerting a downward thrust on said strip adjacent the crotch portion thereof and said downwardly extending forces created by the leg portions cooperating with the divergingly directed edges to prevent upward cutting of the crotch of the wearer.

4. In a garment, the combination of a crotch strip and a body portion shaped to encircle the -body throughout an area not less than the length of the buttocks, said crotch strip being substantially inelastic in a horizontal direction, said strip varying in width and having its widest portion over the upperpart of the pubic region, said strip being attached throughout its length at its side edges to said body portion, said body portion cooperating with the edges of said-widened portion of the strip to established-fulcrum points at the extreme edges of said widened portion, and leg encircling members attached to and ex- I tending downwardly from said body portion and attached to said crotch strip beneath said edges of the widened portion, said leg encircling portions exerting a downward force on said crotch strip and cooperating with. the fulcrum points whereby the entire portion of said crotch strip beneath said fulcrum points is stretched downwardly and outwardly to prevent upward cutting of the crotch of the wearer.

5. In a garment, the combination of a strip unit and a body portion shaped to encircle the body throughout an area at least as long as the buttocks, said bod portion extending below the level of the crotch and having separate le'g encircli portions, the rear of said body portion being ireformed to form cups for the buttocks of the wearer, said strip unit being located in the lower front portion of the garment extending toward the crotch and having a widened portion over the upper part of the pubic region, the widest portion of said strip terminating at points adapted to be located when on the wearer adjacent theopposite outer sides of the upper pubic region, said strip unit being substantially inelastic in a horizontal direction and being attached at its side edges to said body portion at the opposite edges of said widened portion and to said leg portions, the body portionadjacent said opposite edges exerting opposite horizontal forces at said edges and said leg portions exerta ing downward forces on said strip below said wearer, the preformed cups in the rear of the garment preventing said garment from crawling up over the buttocks.

c. FRIIDOLPH. 

